News

“The Game within the Game”

Last night I had an epiphany as I continue to transform what has always been a job into a career. The difference between having a job and having a career is being great at what you do and being your best.

Showing up to work, putting in the hours, making the calls, and doing whatever it is that you have to do to yield results is great, but are you being your best?

How you execute these tasks, how you bounce back from the failures, how you show up every day is more than being great at what you do; it’s about being your best.

I watched an ESPN special earlier this week, after Lebron dropped 23 points in the United Center, where Jordan used to play for the Bulls. The story highlighted how Lebron seemed to be imitating Jordan through his moves on the court – palming the basketball, shooting turn around fade-away jump shots, and ultimately finishing the game with 23 points (the number that Jordan wore). Comparisons started going viral.

However, what really caught my attention about the story, was the point that a commentator made about great players playing a game within the game. He made the point that Lebron, knowing he’d be playing against an inferior team in the Bulls, was intentionally trying out Jordan’s moves to challenge himself to play at the same level as the greatest player of all time. He was essentially playing his own mental game within what could’ve been a less exciting game against the Bulls.

Seizing every opportunity to hone in on your craft through deliberate practice is what makes great players the best. In a league full of great players, it’s no wonder Lebron James has stood out for so many years.

Isn’t the same true for business? In a saturated competitive world, why is it that customers choose to do business with you? Are you going through the motions of being great, or are you challenging yourself to be the best you can be every day?